Starting a business - advice and support

We work with our partners to assist people to create new businesses, become self employed or grow their existing businesses, but we do not employ business advisors directly.

Useful guides & Information

Make Business your Business - is a guide produced by the Government for people interested in starting up and the steps required.

Designing Demand  If you're looking for a designer, thinking of setting up a website for your business or if you simply want to know more about the benefits of branding, there is a series of online free guides offering practical advice and real-life examples from the working world.

HMRC Starting your own business - e learning tool explains and guides you through everything you need to know to get started; includes tips and you can work through the it at your own pace. Usually takes people 1-2 hours to complete, but you don't need to do it all in one go. You can dip in and out as often as you like.

Am I Trading or Not? - a useful short video by HMRC which gives an introduction to when you need to pay tax and when you don't.

E-Book Using Facebook for business - Enterprise Nation has teamed up with Facebook to create the essential guide to using Facebook to boost your business. Free to download.

Sources of Support

Gov.uk provides an online information for business. It contains essential information, support and services for you and your business – whether you work for a large organisation or are on your way to starting up - and provides up to date, practical guidance on regulations and access to government services.

It also has a number of useful online tools, calculators, and best practice case studies; and provides information on finance and wider support. There is also a helpline which is primarily to support people finding relevant information on website Tel: 0845 600 9006 It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

D2N2 Business Advice website & helpline - business support information sign posting web site called simply ‘The Business Advice Web Site’.

The purpose of the site is to draw together all available local, sectoral and national business support services available to business into a single signposting location. Information ranges from how to Protect Your Intellectual Property, through to training, events and developing your online profile.
 

Derbyshire Enterprise Agency has more than 25 years experience of helping small firms to survive and prosper as well as assisting enterprising individuals to get their business idea off the ground. DEA offers business start-ups in Derbyshire a wide range of support services, including:

• Advice and information
• Mentoring and guidance
• Business training and development workshops
• Networking events

For more information regarding business support services provided by Derbyshire Enterprise Agency please telephone 01246 212538 or email janet.howett@dncc.co.uk.

Enterprise Nation - is a web-based network for home based business. They can also help 18-24 year olds access the Start up loans - and offer business support and mentoring and a free copy of their StartUp Loans Kit to young people.

New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) - the Government will give extra help to unemployed people who want to start their own business.  NEA will be available to Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) customers who have been claiming for 26-weeks or more; Lone parents claiming Income Support ; and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants in the Work Related Activity Group who are receiving support from Jobcentre Plus.

Disabled people enrolled in the NEA can now receive additional support through Access to Work to help pay for necessary specialised equipment, support workers and travel costs to get their business started.
 

Start Up Donut contains a wealth of information about business ideas and other key start-up topics. You can also access free resources intended to help save you time and money.

Social Enterprise Start up If you’re thinking of setting up a Social Enterprise or just want to find out more about what being a Social Enterprise means, Social Enterprise UK  can tell you more about the business model, the benefits of being a Social Enterprise and where to go for support, advice and events. Also see our Social enterprise sector page = internal link

TeenBiz scheme aims to provide teenage entrepreneurs with the tools needed to start their own businesses. It is designed to ignite an entrepreneurial interest among students who want to take their ideas to the next step and require assistance to make this happen. The objective is to help 100 young people who have fresh ideas, hunger and drive, to commence business operations over the next three years. Every month one student will receive up to £500 of funding. The money can be used towards a range of start-up costs

Starting a Tourism Business

The Prince's Trust  offers mentoring support and business loans to young people aged 18 to 30, who are unemployed or working less than 16 hours per week and who wish to start a new business. The Trust provides help with completing a business plan, business skill training as well as offering ongoing advice from a volunteer business mentor. Low interest loans of up to £2000 can be obtained in some instances. For further information, telephone 0800 842 842 or is 0116 2550400.

Royal British Legion – ‘Be the Boss’ Scheme is for Armed Forces veterans looking to start their own business or become self-employed will be given more support under a new Government scheme. Delivered by the Royal British Legion, this scheme will provide eligible ex-service personnel with loans and grants to help them start and grow a business.

The scheme includes: Information, advice and guidance; Loans and Grants; and Mentoring. To be eligible, you must have left the Services since the commencement of operations in Afghanistan (October 2001), or be a reservist who has seen active service since that date. For further information contact the 'Be the Boss' dedicated free phone helpline on 0800 678 5787.

Other pages of that may be of interest include:

A-Z list of business advice

Business mentors and business coaching